Eiffel in hunt for West Africa platforms
Construction services group Eiffel sees signs of a pick-up in tender activity offshore West and North Africa.
The company's last offshore fabrication job was a series of process modules for Total's Girassol FPSO to handle production from the deepwater Rosa/Lirio project. Since delivering that consignment in 2006, management has tried alternative avenues to give the yard in Fos-sur-Mer, southern France, more regular employment.
Bringing in new facilities to assemble wind turbine towers brought little reward, although the machinery is now being re-deployed for manufacture of in-demand modular bridges. Some of these are finding application at onshore/offshore construction projects in Southeast Asia.
"Our goal is to produce 600 bridge modules a year," says Offshore Energy Director Arnaud de Villepin. "Fos now has work for the next four to five years," he adds, "although the yard is not full to capacity. So we are hoping to bring in additional work, including offshore contracts."
One high-priority target is Total/NNPC's Ofon Phase 2 shallow water development off Nigeria. This long-planned project was first stalled and then postponed, but Nigeria's government is expected to issue its approval later this year.
"We hope to participate in the EPC contract for the living quarter module and technical buildings for the Phase 2 standalone platforms," De Villepin says. "We have a co-operation with Nigerian design company OOP specifically for living quarters, and another agreement with local fabricator Grinaker, which has a yard in Port Harcourt. If our tender is successful, some parts of the module would be built in Nigeria and others in Fos."
Process modules en route from Fos to the Girassol FPSO for the Rosa/Lirio subsea project.
Eiffel is also in the frame for Total's Anguille redevelopment project offshore Gabon, involving proposed new offshore and onshore facilities. Here, Eiffel is bidding in partnership with Saipem for a wellhead platform calling for a 1,050-metric ton (1,157-ton) topside, a 650-metric ton (716-ton) jacket, and 1,250-metric ton (1,378-ton) piles. This would be built in Fos, with Saipem responsible for the offshore installation.
Offshore Libya, Eiffel is pre-qualifying to bid for the next phase of Total's Al Jurf project, due to be launched in 2011. It aims to bid for the living quarters for a new standalone platform, technical modules and modifications to the existing FSO. Again, these structures would be built in Fos, with a portion assembled in Libya.
LNG transport accessThe modular Universal Bridges are produced under the name Unibridge Trading Co. under a joint venture with the concept's originator, Matiere. One of the current orders is for Esso Highlands' $15-billion Papua New Guinea LNG project, which involves construction of new liquefaction and storage facilities northwest of Port Moresby, and over 450 mi (700 km) of onshore and offshore pipelines. Here the consignment will be erected at a location close to the coast.
"Our bridges can be transported in containers direct to the work site, so they are perfect for construction projects in emerging countries," de Villepin says. Typically, the modules are 12 m (39 ft) long and 4 m (13 ft) wide, although length and width can be adapted by adding lanes. The modules are delivered painted and welded, ready to assemble on the spot as bridges following simple connections. It is also possible to include pedestrian walkways.
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